Sunshine Daisies
by linglu
Summary: Er Kang decides that Nan Er is trying to take over his and Zi Wei's normal , sane life.


"Why did we agree to this?" Er Kang moaned, face in his hands while Zi Wei stood next to him. She was staring up at the roof of Xue Shi Fu, shading her eyes from the sun. Seriously, thought Er Kang miserably. He was getting too old for this. Ling Fei would have been better for this. Or his Er Niang. Sadly he was at the age now, where to ask for such favours from the elders was not appropriate. And as nice and lenient and great as Ling Fei was, after that Wulong Tea and syrup incident, she flat out refused to do anymore babysitting – politely and nicely of course. "Liu Qing-," Er Kang started, but was cut off.

"He refused," says Zi Wei, still looking at the roof. Well. Actually at the 4 year old girl sitting quite nonchalantly on the tiles of their roof. She also had pig tails , large eyes and a smudge on her nose. "I can't really ask him –one of the kids let go a months worths of chicken in the kitchens at Hui Bing Lou."

Er Kang sighed.

"Nan er, please get off the roof," called Zi Wei.

Nan er's small voice floated down to them. "But I wanna fly! I wanna fly like a bird!"

"You can't fly, sweetie," Er Kang coaxed. "People can't fly." In the sun's rays and the glare it caused, he really couldn't see her face, but he could clearly see the mischievous glint in her eyes. And she was clearly pouting.

"But I want to fly!" says Nan Er with a very visible pout and a very visible frown, still petulant. "Why can't Uncle Er Kang give me a ride?"

"Because, Nan Er is a big girl now, and bad things will happen," lies Er Kang. "And you're too heavy!"

Zi Wei shoots him a look and thwacks him gently on the shoulder. "Don't say that," she scolds gently. "She'll be self conscious for the rest of forever!"

"Was Xiao Yan Zi self conscious?" quips Er Kang, earning himself another look.

He would just ' fly ' up there and get her but it just defeat all their coaxing for the past 3 hours. And besides, Nan Er would probably do something rambunctious like whip out a handful of fireworks and blow both of the up. Er Kang very wanted to live a lot longer.

Actually, how Nan Er even got up on the roof was a mystery to all of them. Er Kang had learned long ago, to stop asking questions, even to Xiao Yan Zi's spawn. His eyebrow twitched.

"Ah Ma flies me around all the time!" says Nan Er petulantly, now sitting dangerously close to the edge of the roof, poking her toes out.

"Just go up there," says Zi Wei tiredly and Er Kang complies, heaving a sigh of a hundred—no, ten thousand martyred saints. Or warriors.

Er Kang heaved another huge sigh and raises upward, touching off the round gently with the balls of his feet. He flips once in the air, touches off the trunk of a tree and then lands gently on the roof; Nan Er looks at him expectantly, poking her tongue out between her teeth.

At this point she isn't even sitting anymore; she's standing barefoot on the tilt of the roof- right next to the edge. Er Kang really had half a mind to just knock her off the roof. He'd half a hard time explaining to Xiao Yan Zi, a sworn brother, Huang Ah Ma, Zi Wei and half the people in the palace. But he'd really do it. Not.

On the upside, he would never ever babysit any child like this ever again.

He notices Zi Wei motioning some eunuchs and maids positioning themselves under the roof, just incase Nan Er would fall.

"Becareful, both of you!" she calls.

Er Kang huffed out a sigh. "Nan Er, just –come here please?"

He gestured to himself for emphasis. Why couldn't children do as they say?

Her jaw jutted out and she flailed in a manner much like her mother's.

"No."

Er Kang almost made a strangling motion—he didn't know if it was towards Nan Er or himself but he managed to stop it. "Nan Er. Get over here _right now."_

"I want to fly," she repeats and actually stomped her foot. Nan Er folds her arms and takes one more step towards the edge.

"Don't," warns Er Kang gritting his teeth, feeling like he's aged ten years at least. "If you fall, you'll go splat."

"Auntie Zi Wei will catch me," she says confidently.

"You'll only end up hurting Auntie," says Er Kang desperately.

Nan Er considers that for the moment and gestures towards the eunuchs and rolls her eyes.

After a moment she blows some air out of her lips making that _pfffft _sound. "Fine. I'll come inside."

Er kang sighed, this time in relief as she comes closer to him on the roof, taking steps gingerly.

"If," she adds and Er kang pauses as he reaches a hand out to her. "I could play with that jade horse in the main room."

Er Kang's eyebrow twitched again. Why didn't he see it coming? The catch? This was what she was after the whole time. The life sized jade horse in the main room of the Xue Shi Fu.

"That's for Huang Ah Ma's birthday celebration tomorrow," says Er Kang, panicking a little. No . A lot. "You can't play with it."

"He forgot my birthday last year," pouts Nan Er.

_You sick, twisted kid. _Thinks Er Kang.

"Is Nan Er ready to come down now?" calls Zi Wei nervously.

"She wants to play with Huang Ah Ma's horse!" calls back Er Kang.

"Just tell her we'll give her whatever she wants!" says Zi Wei. "Just make her come inside!"

"Fine." Grounds out Er Kang. "Just come down now, please?"

Nan Er shot Er Kang a smug look as she makes her way over to him. Right after she gets in side, Er Kang is going to bury her body in hole somewhere in the garden and he'll send orders to blind, mute and kill every servant who saw or helped.

Or maybe he would just tie to the jade horse until Yong Qi and Xiao Yan Zi came to her pick her up. Yes, that was a better idea.

A wide grin split over Nan Er's face. In her haste to get to Er Kang, one of the tiles under her feet got loose. The grin disappears into shock as she loses her balance. The tile shot out from under her and off the roof as her feet followed.

Er Kang's eyes pop out and he screams something embarrassingly high pitches and lounges forward to catch her. He's in midair as he grabs her by the ankle, front flips through the air and touches off a servant's shoulder as he lands on the ground, Nan Er in his arms.

"I flew," she says a little shocked and breathless while Er Kang himself is trying to figure out how to breathe again.

He chuckles weakly, setting Nan Er on the ground as her face changes again. "I think I peed. A little," she says.

Er Kang's chuckles quickyly morphed into laughter as she marched indignantly inside, seeking the comfort of Zi Wei's arms.

It's a few hours later and Nan Er is happily sitting on the back of the horse and Er Kang and Zi Wei ( well, only Er Kang really ) are sitting drained at the table drinking tea.

"I think, your parents are here," says Er Kang, hearing Xiao Yan Zi's unmistakably loud voice and Yong Qi's laughter. He stands up and peers out the door to see 2 familiar silhouettes trampling in.

Nan Er lets out a squeal of glee. "Er Niang," she screams, slamming her self first into Xiao Yan Zi. She beams and then launches herself at Yong Qi, pecking him on the cheek.

"How was she?" asked Xiao Yan Zi, smiling at Er Kang and Zi Wei.

They shared a glance – Er Kang of suffering and Zi Wei of fondness/understanding before they both said, "Good."

"Awesome," says Xiao Yan Zi happily, rolling up her sleeves. "Yongqi and I were thinking about going horse riding next week, all the way to Da Li and we were hoping—"

"No!" cried Er Kang as Zi Wei nodded her head but pleaded no with her eyes.

Both YongQi and Xiao Yan Zi laughed loudly. Nan Er, distracted, jumps down from Yong Qi's arms.

"Go give Uncle Er Kang and Zi Wei a kiss goodbye," says Xiao Yan Zi.

"We'll see them tomorrow," adds Yong Qi.

Nan Er wrapped her arms around Zi Wei, kissing her on the check before going over to Er Kang, standing her toes. Er Kang leans in when Nan Er doesn't let go after her hug.

"Thanks for not letting me go splat, uncle," she whispers before pecking him on the cheek.

Er Kang smiles before ruffling her hair fondly as the family walked towards Jing Yang Gong.

"Never again," says Er Kang darkly, as Zi Wei links arms with him, walking towards the bedrooms.

He makes a face and half laughs as a servant rushes by with Nan Er's stained pants.

Zi Wei just laughs.


End file.
